Not sure whether this will actually have any implications, I hope it doesn't- seems a rather pathetic plea. I suppose they didn't count on it entering the press (if it is true).

I wonder how many layers the AMD partners are using?

"Nvidia asks card makers to reduce manufacturing costs of 8800 GT cards; hopes for price war with Radeon 3800Monica Chen, Taipei; Joseph Tsai, DIGITIMES [Friday 28 December 2007] Nvidia recently contacted its graphics card partners asking them to reduce the number PCB board layers used in GeForce 8800 GT-based graphics cards from ten to six in order to reduce manufacturing costs and so lower the card's ASP (average selling price) in the market. The redesign would allow the Nvidia cards to compete in terms of pricing with AMD's Radeon HD 3800 series products, according to sources at graphics card makers.Although the Radeon HD 3800 series was launched three weeks later than the GeForce 8800 GT, Radeon 3800 demand has started to pick up, bringing the market shares of Nvidia and AMD from 90% and 10%, originally, to 70% and 30%.If the PCB layers are reduced from ten to six, graphics card makers are expected to save more than US$10 for each card, which would allow the Nvidia products to go into price competition with those of AMD.Despite the cost benefits, some graphics card makers are unhappy with Nvidia's suggestion, pointing out that the chip maker is in effect asking them to do the job of improving the price/performance ratio of its products, while preserving its own profit margins.Nvidia responded in saying that the redesign is only a suggestion which it believes is the best solution to meet the current market conditions. Card makers will not be forced to implement the change, the company stressed."

Although the Radeon HD 3800 series was launched three weeks later than the GeForce 8800 GT, Radeon 3800 demand has started to pick up, bringing the market shares of Nvidia and AMD from 90% and 10%, originally, to 70% and 30%.

This is great news. I'm glad to hear AMD/ATI are back in the game. Nvidia has been dragging its feet for the last year, and the only reason we saw the introduction of the 8800GT when we did: is because the 3850 (and to a lesser extent the 3870) had Nvidia running scared. The 3850 totally slaughtered Nvidia's entire low-end product lineup. And the 3870 gives the older 8800GTS and even the 8800GT a decent run for its money.

Now if only AMD's CPU division can recover, and compete with Intel again. We're seeing the same behavior from Intel now, like we did from Nvidia. Dragging its feet with the new 45nm processors.

We need competition like this, and price wars. I don't ever want to have to pay $600 for a video card again, like I did when I bought the X800 three years ago.

I wouldn't be surprised if this hampers the overclockability of the cards. Less space between signal traces increases the chances for cross-interference at higher frequencies. But that's only assuming something else in the cards isn't a bigger limiting factor already.

Another thing - I couldn't say for sure, but a thinner PCB is obviously not going to be as physically rigid. A heavy full-cover waterblock might bend them a little more too.

__________________"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." - Voltaire"I believe that all the people who stand to profit by a war and who help provoke it should be shot on the first day it starts..." - Hemingway :) my config - my caps